Legislation Introduced To Make Flamingos Florida’s State Bird

Flamingos in their natural habitat.
Photo: Elilicht, CC 3.0

Rep. Jim Mooney, a Republican from Islamorada, has filed a bill (HB 81) that would make the Flamingo Florida’s state bird. If passed, flamingos would replace the Northern mockingbird, which has been the state’s bird since 1927.

A Flamingo in Florida
Photo: Charles Boyer / FMN

Lawmakers Want A State Bird Unique To Florida

One of the reasons for the change is because four other states — Arkansas, Texas, Tennessee, and Mississippi — have the Northern mockingbird as their state bird. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Chairman Rodney Barreto noted that last May when he called for the state to have an avian species that was unique to the Sunshine State. “I’ve got to believe we can find a bird that is different than five other states,” he said at the time.

The Northern Mockingbird is nearly ubiquitous in in the US and can be found in every state across the continental U.S. in addition to most of Mexico and parts of the Caribbean. Flamingos, on the other hand, are found in Central and South America and the Caribbean. They are also seen in Florida with increasing frequency, and have established colonies as far north in the state as the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Brevard County. They are also present in the southern end of the state, with more than 95% of observations of them coming in the Everglades, Biscayne Bay and the Florida Keys.

According to the Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission, “the American flamingo is one of the largest species of flamingo, averaging up to 5 feet tall thanks to long legs and an elongated neck. Average weights are between 4-8 pounds. They get their mostly pink to red plumage color from pigment in their food, including aquatic invertebrates such as shrimp. Flamingos also have black feathers at the edge of their wings. They have webbed feet for wading in shallow water and a distinctive black tip on their bills.” They can be found in the Gulf Coast states and Florida, with permanent populations believed to be living only in Florida in the continental United States. Effectively Extinct In Florida By The 1900s

Woman wearing a feathered hat in the early 1900’s.
Photo: Audubon Society

In 2018, a scientific study (“Status and trends of American Flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber) in Florida, USA”, Steven M. Whitfield, et. al) contended that the flamingo in Florida is evidence of a recovering species that disappeared from Florida in the early 1900s. Whitfield and his co-authors pointed out that Flamingos were hunted to near extinction in the state as part of the “plume trade” — feathers sold for decorating womens’ hats, which was in fashion at the time.

The plume trade became so popular that it began to severely damage the migratory bird population, with some species nearing extinction in this country. Lobbying groups such as the Audubon Society succeeded in their efforts when the US government enacted a federal ban on harvesting specific types of feathers by passing the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.

Birds excluded from this and other subsequent laws are still feathers available to fashionstas today – Ostrich, Turkey, Geese, Peacock, Rooster, Garden fowl, and Pheasant, to name a few. Heron, Peacock, Egret, Osprey, Birds of Paradise, Flamingos and Vultures came under some kind of protection in order to prevent the species from being hunted to extinction in the millinery trade.

As far as the American Flamingo in Florida was concerned, these laws came too late. Naturalists reported large flocks of flamingos from southern Florida until around 1900, with sightings afterward being rare. In time, scientists considered sightings in the wild being birds that had escaped captivity in the state, or were “accidentals” — birds blown out of their habit by weather, for example. One thing was certain: if you saw a flamingo in Florida in the middle of the 20th century, more than likely you were at the horse track in Hialeah, a zoo or you’d mistaken a Roseate spoonbill for a flamingo.

Flamingos Making A Comeback In Florida

Today, flamingo sightings are increasing here, and permanent populations having seemingly been established: the flamingo is a year-round sighting in the southwest part of the state and even in Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge, where the birds have already been documented in 2025. They have also been seen on the northern fringes of the Everglades, and sighting reports are common.

From February 18-25, 2024, Audubon Florida organized an American Flamingo survey, with forty participants counting sightings of the bird during the survey period. After duplicate sightings were removed, more than 100 of the birds were documented, an increase from previous counts.

Given that news, it makes sense for Florida to have a state bird that reflects the unique habitats that are found only in the Sunshine State.

Besides, what bird do you most associate with Florida? A mockingbird or a flamingo?

An American Flamingo cools off in the Indian River at Haulover Canal on Merritt Island on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024.
Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

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  • I'm a NASA kid originally from Cocoa Beach, FL, born of Project Apollo. My family worked for NASA and/or their contractors, and I watched it all as a kid. And what kid doesn't like rockets? Currently, I am an IT engineer, a recovered R&D scientist that spent time in laser metrology, fiber optic applications and also lightning protection. I'm also a photographer, a writer and a bad musician. My favorite things are space, boating, sports, music and traveling. You can find me on Twitter as @TheOldManPar.

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